Most of the comments received by Miltonians on this blog, through email and in the Champion tends to focus on the fact that this decision was made with no public input and because we haven’t received the go ahead from the provincial government.

Dear Editor:

I read with interest the letter by John Challinor in the February 3 Champion entitled, ‘Hospital levy should be rescinded; taxpayers engaged in discussion.’

We agree that the tax levy should be re-opened for further discussion.

As life-long residents of Milton, we don’t oppose paying money toward our hospital expansion. However, we do question why the decision was made so quickly, when the Milton District Hospital expansion isn’t yet approved by the provincial government.

We urge councillors to re-open the tax levy issue for public discussion.

Jean and Joe Gregoris, Milton  

If you haven’t already read Stuart Service’s article in the Halton Compass last week, (front page / second page) suggest you have a read.  In the article, Stuart asks Dalton McGuinty about Milton’s decision to implement the levy and asks the all important question of will this help.  The Premier’s answer is quite telling.

(photo by Stuart Service, courtesy of Halton Compass)

McGunity did not confirm whether or not a MDH levy would increase the towns chance at landing provincial approval for the hospital expansion.

“It’s obviously a sign of a strong committment on the part of the community, but I think that there is a lot of factors that we have to take into account when it comes to what we’re going to put something next.”

He continued…

“At this point in time, we’re talking about a long term plan and none of those decisions have been made yet.  One of the things we have to look at is where do we go going forward with respect to our capital plan.”

“We’re in a significant deficit , its a matter of modest growth, its a time of still too high unemployment.”

Doesn’t necessarily spark optimism now does it?  In fact its the opposite.  As the article mentioned, there were a number of councillors in support of the levy who used the argument that by implementing the tax levy will increase our chances in getting provincial approval.  In fact key members of staff at MDH and Halton Healthcare Services echoed those same comments.  Judging from the Premier’s comments it doesn’t spark any light of hope as we move closer to the time where the provincial government will be making those decisions.

Recently at the Mayor’s Breakfast we had a visit from Minister of Infrastructure Bob Chiarelli (one of the key decision makers in the approval process) came to town to visit the Milton Centre for the Arts and take some time to speak at the breakfast.  In his 25 minute address to the mostly business crowd there wasn’t a mention of the need for hospital expansion in Milton.  A few individuals I spoke with after who attended the meeting were equally as puzzled as to why the much needed expansion and quite possibly the number ONE issue in the town went unaddressed.

Only time will tell if its a success or a failure.  We should find out in time (March / April 2011) if Milton receives the approval from the provincial government to move forward to the design stage of the much needed expansion of MDH.  Since 2001/2002 there have been a number of studies completed by Halton Healthcare Services (at a significant cost) to assess the need for expansion.  That’s a no brainer as many Miltonians are quite aware.  The need is there…there is no doubt of that fact.  The most recent report was completed back in 2008/2009 as to the need and viability of the expansion and nothing has been done since.  In essence, the report is sitting on an in-box somewhere at the province of Ontario.

You want community support?  We only have to turn back a couple of years when over 35,000 Miltonians, via the Friends of Milton Hospital organization collected signatures on postcards that were delivered to the Premiers office telling them of our needs.

We can do something in the meantime.  We can keep the discussion going at all levels, on this blog, on discussion forums, in the coffee shops and restaurants in town and with our MPP Ted Chudleigh.  It’s getting close to that time and if Milton isn’t approved for expansion there will be a lot of very upset residents.

Hospital levy should be rescinded; taxpayers engaged in discussion

Dear Editor:I read with interest the article in the January 20 Champion entitled ‘Hospital levy increases tax hike by 1%.’

Reporter Christina Commisso wrote that in a 6-5 vote Milton council approved a 3.58 per cent tax increase, plus an unprecedented 1 per cent tax surcharge to help fund the possible future expansion of Milton District Hospital.

Any 6-5 decision is a bad decision, and this one is no exception.

It’s little wonder that Mayor Gord Krantz and councillors Mike Cluett, Tony Lambert, Greg Nelson and Rick Malboeuf didn’t support the 2011 budget. The 4.58 per cent tax hike is more than twice the 2 per cent inflation rate estimated for 2011 by the Bank of Canada. The 2010 inflation rate was 1.7 per cent.

Worse, monies will be set aside for a hospital expansion that isn’t even in the Province of Ontario’s current health infrastructure plan.

Our community’s ability to absorb a 3.58 per cent tax hike, let alone a 4.58 per cent tax increase with a hospital surcharge, is doubtful.

We’re in tough economic times and seniors on fixed incomes, young families with mortgages and local manufacturers and retailers that create jobs and drive municipal assessment revenues are all at risk.

Very few will see business revenues or personal incomes rise 3.58 or 4.58 per cent this year.

A re-do is in order.

Re-open the operating budget and reduce it to inflationary levels.

It’s time to rescind the unprecedented hospital surcharge and engage taxpayers in an open discussion about its future.

Council should also request Queen’s Park to immediately include the hospital expansion in its health infrastructure planning and require  it be funded through a public-private partnership, rather than using municipal property taxes.

John Challinor, Milton

Also…

Hospital tax levy tough to swallow

Dear Editor:This letter is in response to the 1 per cent tax levy approved by council for the hospital expansion.

At the time of planning for growth, where on the list of priorities was the expansion of Milton District Hospital? This should have been a top priority. How is the hospital supposed to cope with this new growth?

We already pay taxes to the Province for hospitals. Could money the Town gets from the Mohawk slots not go toward the hospital fund?

To me, there has been some poor planning shown by our governments.

Cecilia Thorpe, Milton

Just this past week the Halton District School Board chose from a number of different name options for Milton’s newest school (known before as Milton #4) and it seems to have caused some controversy.  But the selection of the name couldn’t have gone to a better person.

The new school on Yates Drive that is due to open this coming fall, will be named Tiger Jeet Singh Public School.

This honour adds to the list of accomplishments this great Miltonian has earned over the years.  Tiger Jeet Singh, along with his son Tiger Ali Singh, are world renowned for their success in the field of professional wrestling.  You may remember Tiger Ali’s stint with the WWE (Formerly World Wrestling Federation) and since then he has moved on to more international success.  The mere mention of their names in the squared circle brought their opponents to submission as they are fierce competitors in the ring.

But thats just the wrestling persona’s.  Outside the ring, they are true ambassadors to the Town of Milton and do what they can to help both their home town and home country.  The list of philanthropic activities of Tiger is head spinning.  Here is a brief list (courtesy of local historian/author John Challinor)

• $200,000 donation to community of Sujapur, India (1990) (money used to build water and sewer infrastructure)
• $100,000+ donation committed to Milton District Hospital Foundation (2006)
• $35,000 raised through his leadership with Kopz4Kids (monies were shared between Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington and Halton Healthcare facilities in Georgetown, Milton and Oakville) (2008)
• $30,000 raised through his leadership with Troy’s Diner Toy Drive (2009) (toys went to local Salvation Army and Sick Childrens Hospital in Toronto )
• $25,000 donation to Milton Historical Society to publish local book of history, Milton Streets (2008)
• Annual pilgrimage to India to donate money, including the following:
o Five buses purchased for various Sikh temples in Punjab, India, so that poor had transportation to worship (2009)
o Land purchased for college campus in Ludhiana, Punjab, India, so students could study locally as most couldn’t afford transportation to study out-of-town (2009)
o Donated monies for clothing and other items to unspecified villages (1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s)
• Raised money with professional wrestler Lord Athol Layton for Shriners Foundation (late 1970s)
• Raised money with professional wrestler Whipper Billy Watson to help expand Newmarket Hospital and raise visibility for plight of handicapped children (early 1970s)
• Anonymous large annual donor to numerous local charities (ongoing)

Humanitarian Activities:

• Non-governmental ambassador (trade) to United Nations with a mandate to reach out to South-East Asian countries (2000 – 2001)
• World-wide Economic Development Ambassador to Milton, Ontario (1980s, 1990s, 2000s)
• Drug, alcohol, education and physical fitness (Tiger-fit) awareness advocate in Canada, Japan, South-east Asia, addressing thousands of parents and students (1990s, 2000s)
• Chief Patron, Punjabi Sahit Sabha of Ontario (organization facilitates education, culture, societal value and general promotion of Sikhism) (since 1976)
• Recognized leader in Canadian South-East Asian community that members from across the country come to when in need of guidance and support (1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s)
• Annual guest of honour at major South-East Asian community religious, community, athletic events (1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s)
• Annual guest of honour at Canada Kabaddi Cup (typically alongside Prime Minister of Canada) (ongoing)

And as I said…that’s just SOME of what Tiger Jeet Singh is involved in.

Recently reported in the Toronto Star, there was a column that outlined some parts of a popular Internet forum called The Hawthorne Villager.

Here is a what I posted. 

Not that this decision needs to be defended, but I’ll put in my 2 cents worth.I have absolutely no problem with the name chosen for the school. All of the contenders, so to speak, were highly qualified to have their name adorn the school walls.

Both Tiger Jeet and Tiger Ali Singh were named as inaugural members of Milton’s Walk of Fame…an honour highly deserved.

The Tigers (Hans family) have grown up in Milton over the course of many years. They were residents of this town long before many of us were called Miltonians. During this time, they have given back to our community. One of the Hans’ sons is a member of the Halton police force, serving and protecting our community. There were stories in the past of what they had to endure from “rabid wrestling fans” and others alike who made life for that family almost unbearable. Too many stories that this family is too proud to talk about. Lets just say life wasn’t made easy for them.

Yet they stuck it out.

Tiger Jeet Singh is a world renowned wrestler and a classy gentleman who doesnt hesitate to offer his help whenever its needed (Troys Diner and other charities) I remember during the Canada Day Celebrations of Milton’s 150th anniversary (where he along with his son were inducted into Milton’s Walk of Fame) talking with him and listening to his acceptance  speech which was quite moving. More moving still was his son’s speech (Tiger Ali) and the pride that both of them felt for their home town. They felt the honour they received by being inducted to the Milton Walk of Fame was the highlights of their lives…and given the careers both individuals had, that’s saying something.

I had the privilage of being the soccer coach of their grandson and despite hectic schedules and travelling all over the world where they are still in demand, he made it to most of his grandsons soccer games.

Through all of this they call Milton their home and they burst with pride when they do so.

There are a number (way to many too count) of Miltonians who have lived here and currently live here that deserve the honour of having a school named after them and Tiger Jeet Singh IS one of those people.

***

 As far as I’m concerned Tiger Jeet Singh is an excellent choice to name the school.  He plans on taking part in the activities, as does fellow Milton Walk of Fame member Chris Hadfield of Hadfield Public School.  The children who attend this school will be lucky to have another role model to look up to.  And its doesnt just stop at Tiger Sr.  His sons and the rest of the family also are involved in bettering our community.  One of Tiger Sr.’s sons is a member of the Halton Police force, serving and protecting the community he grew up in.  I had the privilege of coaching Anthony’s soccer team a few years back and with his experience, helped me be a better coach. 

A great honour for a great champion!  Congratulations Tiger!  This is an honour which is well deserved.   More importantly…THANK YOU!

You can also read more about the decision at Troy’s Diner Blog with even more details on what Tiger has done for Milton, and children everywhere.

My previous employer was a smaller leasing company who fell victim to the short term credit crunch and the asset backed commercial paper market. Back in August and September when it really hit the fan, the available cash from our securitization partners ran short leaving our company in a tough situation and unable to process deals.

That being said, it didn’t take long before the doors closed and many of the 2o or so employees were left looking for other employment.

I’m still in the leasing business working for Irwin Commercial Finance with our branch office based out downtown Toronto. This means more commuting to the downtown core courtesy of GO Transit from Milton, so I’m getting a deeper understanding about public transit in our area.

At this point, Milton doesn’t have all day GO Train service to Toronto with only a few trains in the morning and a few in the evening. Many of the commuters that use the

Milton station come from outside the area in Cambridge, Guelph and northern parts of Oakville and Burlington. The provincial government recently announced a large investment in GO Train services of $100 million dollars but unfortunately none of those dollars have made it to Milton.

Speaking of public transit in Milton, the recent budget brought down by council included ANOTHER huge chunk of cash to go towards buses in town. Also, the town released a report that ridership on Milton transit had increased. You can find the article from the Champion here. On the surface that sounds great. But when you look deeper into the numbers, it isn’t as good as it sounds.

The main reason ridership numbers are up is because of several programs with private sector companies sponsoring free rides. So when its free, people use it more and when people have to pay for it, the numbers decrease immensely.

The report mentioned that ridership increased 63% from 2006 levels. Again, on the surface those numbers sound great, but you don’t get the full picture as many times during 2007 there were extended free fare programs courtesy of a number of companies including Mattamy Homes, Fieldgate Properties, the Milton 150th Anniversary Celebrations, and for such events as the Downtown Street Party. You also have to look at the population levels from 2006 to 2007 and you will find it increased dramatically during this period of time. Unofficially, now Milton is over the 70,000 mark and heading upwards on a daily basis.

What is not mentioned is that there would have been minimal increases in ridership if there wasn’t a fare free program. On the surface it looks like ridership in public transit is up…but you have to carefully look at the numbers. It’s a good first step, but from a business standpoint it doesn’t justify an excessive increase in funding for 2008 over 2007, and that is what town council did for this years budget.

Based on these facts it seems financially wrong to make further cash investments in a program little people are using. Those who read this blog and who have spoken with me during the last municipal campaign know that I am a cautious supporter of public transit.

As our town grows there will be a further need fore more buses and more routes in town for people to get around. At this point, what we had sufficed and until there was any changes in demand, (ie: non-artificially boosted numbers) then the town can look at making more of an investment in transit.

A good friend of mine once said to me “public transit is a slippery slope that can turn into a cash cow for municipalities and in turn will cause increased taxes.” He was right on the money with that statement. Last year council spent millions of dollars on new buses that realistically will run mostly empty unless theres a special free ride promotion and now in 2008 even further investment.

In a letter to the Milton Canadian Champion, former town councillor John Challinor made a few comments that is worth repeating. You can find his letter to the editor here.

The first part of our day was preparing the 27 classic convertible cars for the parade route through downtown. We were quite lucky to have the Halton Police Honour Guard there as well to carry the colours and to further honour the inductees to the Milton Walk of Fame. Many thanks to the hard work of Halton Regional Police Honour Guard Drill Commander Constable Hans, who got everyone together in the honour guard. It added that extra touch of class to the event. Also included in the Honour Guard is Allan Eaton, Constable Leggete, Constable Robertson, and Constable Kelly. Well done!!

Over the past couple of years the 150th Anniversary Committee and the Milton Historical Society had been working on this project, and to our knowledge there is no other municipality in the world that has anything close to this. These 27 people will be the first to have their names written in the history books of Milton as those from Milton who made a national and or international impact in their chosen field.

The cars where shined to perfection and as we got ready to go, some of the streets hadn’t been blocked off yet so some of us had to take it upon ourselves (and our cars) to make sure we cut off traffic as the parade went through town. Being a lover of these fine pieces of machinery, I’ll have THOSE pictures up on this blog soon too…what a sight.

We finally got moving just as the clouds began to come in for what some of us thought was a quick shower. This didn’t dampen any ones spirits, especially those of the inductee’s…”BRING IT ON!” they said.

Once the parade had finished, they ended up behind the main stage and they were marched in by the honour guard and the inductees made their way to the tables as the veterans, who were honoured earlier at Victoria Park, were seated as well.

Another chuckle we had was trying to bring Milly the Millstone, (pictured here, courtesy of Ashley Challinor) the official Town of Milton Mascot, up the narrow steps without causing a scene and injury to Milly. Speaking as one who has worn the Milly costume at events, its NOT an easy thing to move around in and Henry deserves some praise for doing it as often as he does.

John Challinor and Bruce Carlin of the Milton Historical Society, who were the emcees of the event, kicked it off with the introductions…and we finally began! As I stood there on stage looking out at the crowd, I was blown away by the sheer number of people who took the time to come out to first honour the veterans of Milton and the inductees to the Walk of Fame. As the introductions continued, I slipped out the camera and took a couple of shots…I was just speechless. Ann Kornuta, local Milton artist and “foto-master” was running around snapping as many shots as she could for the Halton Compass. There was so much going on, it was hard to keep up with it all. TV Cogeco was out in full force as well with a camera centre stage as well as Sandy French hard at work along the sidelines. Stay tuned to Plugged In! on TV Cogeco for the full story.

One by one the inductees were brought on to the stage to be recognized for their hard work and dedication to their craft, to get a quick photo snapped and maybe say a few words. Each one of them who spoke, did so from the heart. Many of them had won other awards in their chosen profession but many of them stated that the Milton Walk of Fame honour surpassed all others.

The most heartfelt speech of the day belonged to Tiger Ali Singh as he recounted his years as a youth in Milton, the hard work and dedication of not only his father but of his brothers and his mother for keeping the family together. They continue to live in Milton while travelling all over the world performing in wrestling matches. Tiger Jr.’s speech brought tears to many eyes as he expressed his gratitude of being honoured this way along with his father. Tiger Jeet Singh got up to speak as well, but as he passed me on his way up the stairs he told me, I don’t know how I’m going to top that. Hes a man of few words but they spoke volumes.

After the last inductee spoke it was time for people to have a chance to meet them face to face and get their autographs. No sooner that we announced it, many of the inductees were swarmed from Albert Casson to Bruce Hood (who enjoyed the boos of the crowd as he came up to the stage…those who are hockey fans KNOW how much fun it is to booo the refs!) OMNI TV came out to tape the event as well for the showcase of the Singh family. It actually got to the point they needed to leave and needed an escort out of the park to the cars…ME being security for two 6 foot PLUS wrestlers…HA…I know I laughed too.

What else can we say about Milton’s Canada Day but WOW! From beginning to end there were tons of things to do, the rides were great and the food was even better than before.

And the only way to end the show was with ABBAMANIA who rocked the crowd with many of Abba’s hits from the 70’s. Young and old were dancing, singing and having a great time as the sun went town and the night sky readied for the fireworks. A special thanks to Kevin Brackley who did quite a bit of jumping through hoops, bending over backwards and many days and nights stressing out to get Abbbamania as the main event for the 150th Anniversary /Canada Day celebrations. Great job Kevin!

The fireworks were set to music this year and there wasn’t one person who left that fairgrounds disappointed. For around 25 minutes the sky turned bright and loud with the sounds of the fireworks set to music. Excellent job and w
e can only hope next years Canada Day’s celebrations can be topped. It will be tough.